“It will take some time before she can do anything,” says the friend, who says Kim's trying to build a case for full custody of kids North, 3, and Saint, 12 months.

But, the pal stresses, "she doesn’t want to stay married" to Kanye.

Her rapper husband, 39, has been having a difficult time as of late. He was released on Nov. 30 from UCLA Medical Center’s Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital following a nine-day stay for what his physician Michael Farzam dubbed an episode of “temporary psychosis.”

Meanwhile, Kim is living with the kids in Bel Air, and “is being very protective and doesn’t want Kanye around the kids right now,” says the friend.

Kanye did attend the small gathering Kim held for Saint's first birthday on Dec. 5, and the two are in contact.

Kim, who has been hiding from the public eye since being robbed in Paris Oct. 3 does care about Kanye's health, obviously.

“She cares about Kanye and feels relieved he’s getting the help he needs,” continues the friend, “but she’s felt trapped for a while.”

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